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UNITED STATES PAENT OFFICE.

ISAAC H. GIFFING, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

INSTRUMENT FOR BREAKING ICE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 15,483, dated August 5, 1856.v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC H. GIFFING, of the city, county, and State of 'New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for the Purpose of Breaking Ice.

To enable others skilled in art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation as Jfollows: I prepare a piece of steel, or iron pointed with steel about 3 or 4 inches long, about or t inch in thickness around (see drawing C) one end of which I sharpen to a point, the other end is then bored to the depth of or 1 inch. A screw tap is then inserted and a screw cut therein, a weight or ball (see drawing B) of iron or other suitable metal weighing pound more or less is then bored with a hole of suitable size to slide easily upon a rod of iron or other metal of or inch in thickness and about 15 or 18 inches long, which is to be turned in a loop or ring at one end (see drawing' A) and a screw cut at the other end, to fit the screw of the pointed piece, I then slip the aforesaid ball or weight upon the looped rod and insert the screw previously cut on the end thereof into the end of the pointed piece and' screw them rmly together, or else the straight end of the looped rod (after j ection (which isformed in the first method by one piece being larger than the other) for the purpose of catching and receiving a -blow from the ball or weight.

I do not claim a pointed iron or steel for breaking ice, but

What I do claim as my invention is- 'I'he looped rod, the sliding ball or weight and the point all in connection as herein set forth, using for that purpose any metal of any size or shape that may be necessary for the purpose of ornament or for attaining the object in view viz. breaking ice.

The manner of operating with this machine is as follows: Place the pointed end on a piece of ice in any desired direction, hold the loop in one hand, and with the other raise the ball or weight and let it fall or throw it suddenly down upon the shoulder, and the concussion will cause the ice to break.

WM. SINCLAIR, HORATIO P. CARR. 

